1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle steering apparatus used for a vehicle such as an automobile.
2. Description of Related Art
Electric power steering apparatuses that assist in steering by electric motors have been known as vehicle steering apparatus.
As the electric power steering apparatuses, a coaxial motor-type electric power steering apparatus comprising an electric motor having a rotating shaft provided coaxially with a steering shaft connected to a steering member such as a steering wheel has been proposed (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2006-103642 A, for example).
Generally, an electric power steering apparatus comprises a shock absorbing mechanism (an energy-absorbing mechanism) for absorbing shock applied to a steering member from a driver in the collision of a vehicle by contracting a steering shaft and a tubular jacket for rotatably supporting the steering shaft in the axial direction.
In a case where the coaxial motor-type electric power steering apparatus is provided with the shock absorbing mechanism, the contraction stroke of the shock absorbing mechanism (a shock absorbing stroke) may not be sufficiently ensured. The reason for this is that in the coaxial motor-type electric power steering apparatus, an electric motor occupies a part of an axial space of the steering shaft and the jacket.
An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle steering apparatus capable of sufficiently ensuring a shock absorbing stroke.